Import Host Upgrade Images and Create Host Upgrade Baselines

You can create upgrade baselines for ESXi hosts with ESXi 6.5 images that you import to the Update Manager repository.

You can use ESXi.iso images to upgrade ESXi 5.5.x hosts and ESXi 6.0.x hosts to ESXi 6.5 .

To upgrade hosts, use the ESXi installer image distributed by VMware with the name format VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.5.0-build_number.x86_64.iso or a custom image created by using vSphere ESXi Image Builder.

Prerequisites

Required privileges: VMware vSphere Update Manager > Upload File.

Procedure

Use the vSphere Web Client to log in to a vCenter Server Appliance, or to a vCenter Server system with which Update Manager is registered.

In the Home view of the vSphere Web Client, select the Update Manager icon.

From the Objects tab, select an Update Manager instance.

The Objects tab also displays all the vCenter Server system to which an Update Manager instance is connected.

Click the Manage tab.

Click ESXi Images, and click Import ESXi Image.

On the Select ESXi Image page of the Import ESXi Image wizard, browse to and select the ESXi image that you want to upload.

Click Next.

Caution:

Do not close the import wizard. Closing the import wizard stops the upload process.

(Optional) In the Security Warning window, select an option to handle the certificate warning.

A trusted certificate authority does not sign the certificates that are generated for vCenter Server and ESXi hosts during installation. Because of this, each time an SSL connection is made to one of these systems, the client displays a warning.

Option

Action

Ignore

Click Ignore to continue using the current SSL certificate and start the upload process.

Cancel

Click Cancel to close the window and stop the upload process.

Install this certificate and do not display any security warnings

Select this check box and click Ignore to install the certificate and stop receiving security warnings.

After the file is uploaded, click Next.

(Optional) Create a host upgrade baseline.

Leave the Create a baseline using the ESXi image selected.

Specify a name, and optionally, a description for the host upgrade baseline.

Click Finish.

Results

The ESXi image that you uploaded appears in the Imported ESXi Images pane. You can see more information about the software packages that are included in the ESXi image in the Software Packages pane.

If you also created a host upgrade baseline, the new baseline is displayed in the Baselines pane of the Baselines and Groups tab.

What to do next

To upgrade the hosts in your environment, you must create a host upgrade baseline if you have not already done so.